Description

Northern Wasco County PUD is seeking an experienced and driven Purchasing Manager to lead our Purchasing team. This is an exciting new opportunity for a strategic professional who is ready to make a meaningful impact within a collaborative and forward-thinking organization. This full-time, exempt role offers a Monday-Thursday, 4/10 work schedule.

Flexible hybrid position requiring a minimum of two in-office days a week, with additional on-site presence as necessary. 

The Purchasing Manager, as the subject matter expert in procurement and purchasing, is responsible for implementing the PUD’s public procurement and purchasing policy and maintaining compliance with financial reporting requirements. Ensures compliance with State laws and PUD policy for public purchases. Follows applicable bidding procedures, creates, and negotiates purchasing contracts. Establish processes for the procurement function, collaborates with managers to determine appropriate purchasing requirements to achieve the District’s strategic initiatives, and perform analysis on purchasing trends and forecast material needs to accommodate supply chain constraints.  Maintains records and assists with risk management activities as they relate to contracts, vendors, and purchasing activities. Directs and manages the purchasing and warehouse staff to ensure alignment with strategic initiatives, supports and encourages District’s culture, and promotes staff’s personal and professional growth. Provides a high level of customer service to District staff and presents recommendations and/or data to executive management and the Board of Directors as required. 

Requirements

GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Ensures policies and procedures are reviewed, upheld, revised, and adopted in accordance with State procurement laws. Continuously performs regulatory research, reviews, and improves procurement policies for compliance and clarity.
• Oversee the compliance requirements for tracking and reporting necessary information as required by State procurement laws.
• Review and update existing administrative regulation as necessary.  Develop and implement administrative regulations and standard operating procedures for purchasing, contract management, and inventory management.
• Provide training on updated and new administrative regulations and standard operating procedures.
• Ensure effective contract administration by managing contract development and approval process.
• Provide direct supervision, coaching, and performance managementof assigned staff.
• Lead recruitment,selection, and retention efforts for department personnel.
• Establish clear performance standards and priorities aligned with District goals.
• Leads the development and implementation of the Purchasing staff goals, objectives, and priorities.
• Hold employees accountable for safety, productivity, andcompliance with District policies.
• Handles discipline and termination of employees in accordance with District policies.
• Collaborates cross-departmentally to identify and develop timeframe requirements for equipment, materials, inventory, products, services, and acceptable substitutions. Consider external and internal influences which may affect procurement of necessary goods or services.
• Assesses current material and inventory availability; reasonably predicts future need and availability based on the market, delivery systems, and other variables.
• Reviews requisitions and creates purchase orders (POs) for materials, inventory, supplies, equipment, and services.
• Creates and reviews contracts and requests for proposals (RFPs). Collaborates with legal counsel to ensure appropriate terms and conditions and other legal clauses for individual contracts are appropriate.
• Reviews scopes of work and confirms project requirements with purchasing staff, SME’s, and leadership.
• Evaluates and approves conditions for issuing and awarding bids.
• Assist staff with various contract variables including resolution of grievances with vendors, contractors, and suppliers.
• Supports project managers or project management process with risk management and negotiations.
• Assist staff with contract management
• Prepares and presents management reports on procurement data and issues and identifies trends and practices in procurement. Keeps Chief Financial Officer informed on a proactive basis regarding procurement issues and trends.
• Provide direction, guidance, and training for purchasing staff by creating and communicating a plan for the department that includes collaboration with all departments in the District and providing necessary resources.
• Ensure the District meets its legal and financial obligations with vendors and labor/service providers by reviewing and updating contracts and vendor information, working closely with contract work managers, contractors, insurance companies, Dept. of Labor & Industries, and the Department of Revenue.
• Collaborate with managers and oversee the annual purchasing budget for the District.  
• Review budget to actual variances monthly.
• Represent the District in meetings with contractors, vendors, and regulatory agencies.
• Demonstrates cultural competency through respectful, inclusive work habits and through the valuing and welcoming of cultural differences in all position responsibilities.
• Supports the District’s mission to serve our customers and foster a safe and positive work environment by personally exhibiting behavior that aligns with the District’s Core Values & Beliefs.
• Must perform the duties of this position in a safe and efficient manner and follow all safety regulations and protocols.
• Other duties as assigned. 
   
  Secondary Functions:
• Participate in cross-departmental process improvement initiatives.
• All PUD employees are expected to work outside of normal business hours when required during emergency restoration activities and to accomplish other special projects.

Skills/Knowledge/Abilities: PLEASE NOTE: This position requires the use of various tools/equipment that are related to performing the essential functions of this job. 

• Advanced knowledge and ability to apply public sector procurement principles and practices, competitive bidding requirements and exceptions including alternative contracting methodologies.
• Knowledge of applicable Federal, State, and local laws, rules, regulations, codes, and/or statutes.
• Knowledge of contract negotiations, administration and maintenance principles and practices.
• Working knowledge of governmental accounting practices and processes, including but not limited to procurement requirements related to Federal and State grants.
• Knowledge of Internet research techniques and methods to use on-line bidding and procurement systems.
• Working knowledge of principles and procedures associated with public procurement records and retention.
• Working knowledge of computer applications related to work, including automated purchasing systems, word processing and spreadsheet software.
• Knowledge and ability to prepare a purchase order, type of purchase order to create, appropriate coding of items being purchased, and what terms and conditions must be attached to the purchase order.
• Ability to determine if purchase is a capital or operating & maintenance expenditure that is budgeted. Understanding of governmental account coding for expenditures listed on a purchase order.  
• Knowledge and ability to budget and forecast purchases necessary to accomplish District’s strategic initiatives and goals.
• Knowledge and ability to manage and oversee District warehouse, including purchasing of inventory, supplies, and necessary services.  
• Create expenditure models to look at purchasing trends.
• Ability to provide a high level of customer service to public and District staff, in person and over the telephone.
• Ability to teach and explain policies, procedures, and practices of purchasing processes to all staff with varying levels of purchasing experience.  
• Possess technical writing and proofreading skills, including the ability to draft contract language.
• Possess complex critical thinking skills using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Possess advanced problem solving to identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Ability to establish and effectively demonstrate productive time management of own workload amongst competing priorities.
• Possess strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Possess interpersonal skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment.
• Understands the importance and possess the ability to establish, maintain, and foster positive and harmonious working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Supervisory and/or Functional or Technical Responsibility or Oversight: 

• Directsupervisory responsibility over purchasing staff and union warehouse staff.
• Provides functional and technical oversight of procurements, contracts, and budgets.
• Provides training and advises departments and staff at all levels on purchasing protocols and policies.  

QUALIFICATIONS: Recommended Education, Training & Experience (includes licenses or certifications): Other combinations of education and/or experience demonstrating the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to do the work will also be considered. 
 
Education/Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, business, supply chain management, public policy, or similar field required.
• Seven (7) or more years of complex purchasing experience required, preferably in a public agency or public organization.
• Two (2) or more years’ experience in inventory management.
• Minimum of five (5) or more years of experience in a management or supervisory role.
• Experience or advanced knowledge of State law as related to procurement compliance responsibilities.

Licensing or Certifications Preferred: 

• Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), or other certifications related to procurement preferred
• Certifications in contracts administration and utility procurement or similar program

Job Scope:
 

• Works on extremely complex non-routine assignments where analysis of situations or data requires an evaluation of intangible variables. Exercises judgment in developing methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining results.
• Guide activities and decisions that affect work accuracy, reliability, service quality, systems, or operations with moderate to significant financial impact and moderate impact to the public, policyholders, business partners, and other customers through multiple contacts or activities that require relationship management and impact on the District's image and reputation.
• Provides input to and directly supports strategic direction of the organization.
• Decisions focus on monthly, annual, and long-term activities to create and define goals and processes to achieve assigned objectives.
• Responsible for functional area(s), works through teams or non-direct reports to achieve objectives. Provides input on defining policies, procedures, and objectives for accomplishing work within the functional area and/or program and monitors achievement of objectives.
• Tasks and information relative to this position are of a confidential and/or sensitive nature requiring strict confidentiality and professional conduct.
• Priority of tasks or projects can change quickly and might require multiple projects being worked at the same time while waiting for additional information or direction of project.